Measuring device for particulate material



May 25,, 1965 W. T. RILEY MEASURING DEVICE FOR PARTICULATE MATERIAL Filed Jan. 29, 1963 TTG: 1- 23 I l0 l5 I. I3 22 20 Q, 2/ v 24 /8 Wu INVE/VTDR.

" 8 WILLIAM 1: RILEY y I L Attorney United States Patent 3,184,974 MEASURING DEVICE FOR PARTICULATE MATERIAL William T. Riley, Chicago, Ill., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 254,799 4 Claims. (Cl. 73-432) This invention relates to a device for measuring the fraction of off-size particles in a sample of particulate material.

The device is particularly useful for checking whether a grinding operation is reducing material to a desired size consist. For example, the objective in a grinding operation may be to reduce material to 95 percent minus inch. Unless the product contains about 5 percent oversize particles, there is an undesirable excess of minus 100 mesh particles. If there is a larger fraction of oversize, the product is too coarse, Hence there is need .for a ready way of determining the fraction of plus /8 inch particles in the product. Nevertheless it is apparent the device can be used for making similar determinations concerning other operations, such as checking the fraction of undersize particles remaining in the oversize from a screening operation.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved measuring device which is of simple construction yet enables the fraction of ofi-size particles to be quickly and easily determined.

A further object, as applied to a grinding operation, is to provide a measuring device which enables the fraction of oversize particles (for example plus A2 inch) to be determined within one or two minutes and avoiding any long delay in correcting improper operation.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of my improved measuring device fully assembled; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the cage and cover embodied in the device.

My measuring device comprises essentially a loading shell 10, a cage 12 removably fitted in said shell, and a cover 13 removably fixed to the cage, all formed of metal such as stainless steel. The cage includes a relatively large cylindrical upper section 14, a tapered intermediate Wall 15, and a relatively small cylindrical lower section 16, The volume of the smaller section 16 preferably bears the same relation to the total volume of the cage as the desired fraction of oversize particles (for example 5 percent). The side walls of both sections and the bottom wall of the smaller section are formed of narrow rods or bars uniformly spaced apart. The spaces between bars are of a width equal to the size of particle at which the measurement is to be made (for example Ms inch). The cover 13 can be fixed to the cage by any suitable means. In the construction illustrated, the cage has a ring 18 at the upper end of its section 14, which ring carries an integral outwardly projecting fiange 19. The edge of the cover has an integral semicircular flange 20 which carries an inwardly projecting lip 21 adapted to receive flange 19. A screw pin 22 is received in mating openings in the cover 13 and flange 3,184,974 Patented May 25, 1965 "ice 19. The cover has a bail 23 and a rigid handle 24. Shell 10 includes a base 25 and an open-topped cup 26 rigidly fixed to the base and shaped to receive the cage 12.

In operation, I place cage 12 within shell 10, but remove cover 13. I catch a representative sample of material within the cage, filling the cage completely with sample. I apply the cover, remove the cage from the shell, and Wash the cage and sample with water to remove all the undersize particles through the slots in the cage walls. Conveniently I can perform the washing step by dipping the cage rapidly in and out of a body of water. If the sample contains the desired fraction of oversize particles, the particles remaining in the cage after washing just fill the lower section 16. I can easily note any diiierence and make the necessary correction in the operation which I am checking, for example the throughput of a grinding operation, When I use the device to check a screening operation, the volume of sec tion 16 would represent the allowable fraction of underside particles in the oversize product from the screen. The particles remaining after washing should fill the up per section 14 with the cage inverted.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that my invention affords a simple device for quickly and accurately checking the fraction of off-size particles in a sample of particulate material. The whole determination requires only a minute or two. Hence any changes needed in an operation such as grinding can be made before a large quantity of material has been treated improperly.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. A measuring device comprising a shell, a cage removably fitted in said shell and adapted to receive a sample of particulate material, and a cover removably fixed to said cage, said cage having a relatively large upper section, a relatively small lower section, and an intermediate wall connecting said sections, the side walls of both said sections being formed of bars uniformly spaced apart to enable undersize particles to be washed from a sample inside the cage through the spaces between bars, said lower section having a predetermined volume relation to the total volume of the cage, whereby the oversize particles of a sample of the desired size consist fill one of said sections after the undersized particles are washed therefrom.

2. A measuring device as defined in claim 1 in which said shell has a base and an open-topped cup rigidly fixed to said base and closely receiving said cage.

3. A measuring device as defined in claim 1 in which the upper end of said cage has an outwardly projecting flange, said cover has a semicircular flange and an inwardly projecting lip at its edge receiving said first-named fiange, and including a screw pin received in mating openings in said cover and said first-named flange.

4. A measuring device comprising a shell formed of a base and an open-topped cup rigidly fixed to said base, a cage removably fitted in said cup and adapted to receive a sample of particulate material, and a cover removably fixed to the top of said cage, said cage having a relatively large cylindrical upper section, a relatively small cylindrical lower section, and a tapered interme- :3 v s diate wall connecting said sections, the side Walls of References'Cited by theExaminer both said sections and the botton wall of said lower UNITED STATES PATENTS section bemg formed of bars umformly spaced apart V to enable undersize particles to be Washed from .a sample 216530 6/79 Pfltzenmeler 73-427 X inside said cage through the spaces between bars, said 5 221,478 11/79 Thomas 209 237 lower section having a predetermined volume relationv $3 2 to the total volume of the cage, whereby the oversize particles of a sample of the desired size consist fill one v of said sections after the undersize particles are Washed RICHARD QUEISSER Primary Examiner' therefrom. 1Q JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, Examiner. 

1. A MEASURING DEVICE COMPRISING A SHELL, A CAGE REMOVABLY FITTED IN SAID SHELL AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A SAMPLE OF PARTICULATE MATERIAL, AND A COVER REMOVABLY FIXED TO SAID CAGE, SAID CAGE HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE UPPER SECTION, A RELATIVELY SMALL LOWER SECTION, AND AN INTERMEDIATE WALL CONNECTING SAID SECTIONS, THE SIDE WALLS OF BOTH SAID SECTIONS BEING FORMED OF BARS UNIFORMLY SPACED APART TO ENABLE UNDERSIZE PARTICLES TO BE WASHED FROM A SAMPLE INSIDE THE CAGE THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN BARS, AND LOWER SECTION HAVING A PREDETERMINED VOLUME RELATION TO THE TOTAL VOLUME OF THE CAGE, WHEREBY THE OVERSIDE PARTICLES OF A SAMPLE OF THE DESIRED SIZE CONSIST FILL ONE OF SAID SECTIONS AFTER THE UNDERSIZED PARTICLES ARE WASHED THEREFROM. 